Electric switch



H. E. LEPPERT ELECTRI C SWITCH- mled August 4, 1925 .Wg i

f, A@ is www Patented Jari; la;

, EIIIZIC'IRI'' MANUFACTURING PQRATION OF CONNECTICUT.

COMPANY, :0F PLAINVILLE, GONNEG ZIICITL, A. COR( s niac'rmo swI'rcH.

` -appucaaoa nieu august 4, 1e25. 'serial in. 48,044.

T 'I all whom it may concern:

Be it' known that I`, HENRY E. Liariizirn' a citizen of the United States of America,

residing at New Britain, county of Hart-- fold-State of Connecticut, have invented aI new and useful Electric l Switcln' of which tlr. following is a specification..

.'ll'y invention relatespaiticularly vto snap switches of these-called toggle or lever ty}.e.

' switches in boxes or receptacles from which mounted.

tle operating lever projects.

The main object o'my. present invention is to provide-.simple-and inexpensive means for indicating whether the switch is on or of. Y

A more specific object is'to 'provide a construction in which the indicator c'an be readily a plied or removed when desired but in wixieli", the indicator is normally securely Fig. 1'.is a perspective view of an enclosed type switch embodyin m invention.A

Fig. 2 is `a longitu inaly sectional view showing details of the construction as Vap-v plied to wliatis common y termed a -flusli` type switch.

Fig. 3 is a front view of a switch with the l indicator applied but omitting the usual face place o r box cover.

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view showing the connection and theoperatin lever and the method of removing the in icator.` Y

Fig. 5 is a 'fragment-ary front view ofthe yoke throu h which the operating lever projects an which serves as a support for the indicator.-

Fie. 6 is a perspective view of the indica'- tor slidethe slide bein turned upside down oe' as, to more clearly Show the hook mem- In the preferred form the mechanism is fpmvido'd with a yoke or strap member 8 'wliicli' eitends lengthwise at ,the front of anA insulating block or body 9 which conl'tans any suitable form of switch mech anisin. This yoke may be conveniently secured iu place by one or more screws 10 inserted from the rear as is customary iii structures of this general character.

lhe switch is provided with an operating handle or lever 11 which is connected at the ronr'to the switch 'mechanism in any suit- It is customary to. mount. these' between the indicator l `aiilc manner (not sho-wn) andprojects at the front through the slot 12 in the yoke '8.

` The lever 11 is oscillatedV up or down. as relquired to .operate the switch in the usual irannei.

ln the construction shown in Fig. 1 the switch mechanism is mounted within. a box or receptacle having a bod 13 and a cover 14. The cover is provide with a sloty 15 for the operating lever 11.

The indicator slide'16 is mounted on the y lercrll and slides on the front of the yoke 8 between 'the guiding projections 17 and behind the cover 14 or tflie fece plate 111.

This slide is preferably of thin sheet metal in the form o. a sli htly bowed spring as Shownin Figs. 2 an 6. This slide is p ro- 4viled with rearwardlyprojecting hooks '18- which are adapted to be inserted through the notches 19 in the sides of the slot 12 of the yoke 8, in order to secure it in operative l position.

It would be obvious .that this assembly or' the reverse operation of separation could onlv be affected when the lever 11 is in its central position substantiall at right angles to the aceplate. It woul bev understood ofcourse that snap switches of this charac- `tei are normally either on or off and the lever is never-in the central position except when it is deliberately moved and held there.

Consequently the slide itself is always sna pe'd past this central position and there is t erefore no danger of the slide ever liecoming accidentally detached even when thel face plate is removed The face plate or cover, is adapted to be secured to the yoke 8 in the usual 'manner as for instance by means of one or more vscrews 20. When this face plate is in position the slide 16` isl of course prevented absolutelyfrom being detached. It would rroted that this slide closes the slots 15 and 12 so that no foreign matter, dirt or insects can pass throt' the slot no mattei' whether the switch is o .oii'oi While I have shown theA indicator as having.,r the words On and Oli to indicate the condition of the circuit it should be understood that I have used this expression merely as typical of any other means of inalso be dication such as the words Light or Out in any suitable manner.

1 .Suche construction readily lends itself to 1L would also be undei'stoqd'that the 'indinterlocking. connection with said lever andaA v, cators might be marked with luminous paint variation'from an indicating to a nonindicatin type or vice versa or toa chan e' a lever Inova le in said slot, an indicatorv inthe-c aracter of indication bysimplysu stit-uting one or another indicator or slide asA mzy be desired. A

claims' 1. A sna 'A switch comprisin a yoke, an

operating 'ever extending t rough said yoke, a sliiiehaving a hooked 'conpectlon f i LJ. A y 2. A 7snap switch comprisinga yoke, a lel ver extending throughv said yoke, a spring slide mounted on said lever and havin ghooks -no'rmally holding said slide to sai yoke, said-yoke having notches to'permit diseent of said slide from said-yoke when 'ina rtain'position.

4El.' In a snap switch, a 4supporthavin 'de members, anoperating -lever'exten mg through said support, fa slide mounted on said vsupport und gui edithereby and having with said support to prevent disengagement. except when said lever is in a certain eiinite position. Y i 4., In a sna switch, a plate having a slot,

mounted on said lever and covering said slot and having an interlockingfengagement with said plate.

5. In a snap switch,-a support, a face plate having a 'slot,-an'operating member extending through said slot, an indicating member mounted between said support and said face erating member andfnovable therewith and means ofconnection between said indicator and said support to normally' prevent detachment of said indicator.

with said yoke and a' loose connection with plate and detachably connected with sid op- 40 said lever. v

6. In'a snap switch, aplate` having a slot .45

with anotch inthe side ofthe slot intermes diate its ends, an operating member extend` ing through saidslot and an indicator connected to said operating 'member and having a hook engaging said plate at the edge of said slot except at said notch.

' l HENRY E. LEPPERT. 

